whowasmartinluther

Martin Luther

For in the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17)

Martin Luther's Childhood and Youth (1483-1501)
Martin Luther (born as Martin Luder, later he called himself Luther) was born on November 10, 1483 into an extremely tense world . Great changes were waiting around the corner, and Luther, too, would take his part in these changes.
Luther's father, a farmer's son, moved from Eisleben to Mansfeld shortly after Luther's birth in 1484 to try to better the family's financial situation by mining copper. He was successful and already in 1491 the Luder's were one of the most respected families in Mansfeld.
Luther's mother, Margarete Luder, had many children to look after and was a harsh disciplinarian.
Martin attended the Latin school (Lateinschule) in Mansfeld where barbaric teaching methods of the Middle Ages still reigned. Luther had been described as a quiet, reserved yet talented student who was intimidated by the strict order.
In 1497, Luther went to Magdeburg where he attended the school 'Brother's for living together (a bording school; Bruder fuer Gemeinsamen Leben)' and then in 1498 went to Eisenach and lived with relatives. He was edcuated at the town's parish school in Eisenach.

Financially it was possible for the Luther's to send their son Martin to the university in Erfurt in 1501. Hans Luther, Martin's father, hoped to help his son by sending him to law school so he could later be a lawyer and have a secure future.
Luther's Student Life Erfurt (1501-1505)
The University of Erfurt, founded in 1392 was one of the best German universities at this time . This is most likely the reason Luther's father chose this university for his son.
During Luther's time, before one could study a specific field (Law, Medicine, Theology), you had to learn the 7 Liberal Arts. Luther did this, received his Baccaleureat (the first level at the university) in 1502 and then received his Master's degree in 1505. His father hoped that the law studies would go as well, and that his son would soon have a good position in a law practice somewhere.
Luther, as the legend goes, swore to become a monk on July 2, 1505 while he was caught in a terrible storm ( Legends about Luther: 'Lightning'). He did this, to his friends surprise who knew him as full of the joys of life and his parents anger; he entered the Mendicant order of the Augustinian monks in Erfurt.

Martin Luther's Life as a Monk (1505-1512)
According to legend (see Lightning), it was during a terrible storm that Luther decided to become a monk. He did not change his mind when his friends and father tried to convince the successful student to continue his law studies. He entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt in 1505 and took his monk's vow in 1506.
The life of a monk during Luther's time was hard, and consisted of fasting, prayer and work. A monk's day began at 3 am with the first hourly prayers. This time molded Luther, above all he found a close relationship to the Bible which characterized his later life and work.
In 1507, Luther was ordained as a priest in Erfurt and started studying Theology at the University of Erfurt. During his studies, he came into contact with the ideas of the Humanists and embraced their slogan 'Ad Fontes!' - Back to the Source! For Luther this meant the study of the Bible in its original Hebrew and Greek (Bible humanism).

Martin Luther as Professor in Wittenberg (1512-17)
After recieving his doctorate in Theology in 1512, Luther took a position as Theology Professor at the Wittenberg University 'Leucorea'. He gave lectures over the Psalms (1514-15), Letter to the Romans (1515-16), Letter to the Galatians (1516-17), and Letter to the Hebrews (1517-18).
This time is characterised by Luther's grappling with religious understanding. His decisive religious enlightenment is said to have come during his intensive study of the Letter to the Romans during which time he realized that people receive justice through the grace of God, not through good works: "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith." (Romans 1:17)
Luther himself stated that he came to this decisive realization in the study room of the Wittenberg monastery. When this actually happened is disputed; it is also known as the Tower experience (Turmerlebenis).
A circle of theologians began to form around Luther, among them Niklaus von Amsdorf and Karlstadt (Andreas Bodenstein).
In 1514 Luther became priest for Wittenberg's City Church.

The 95 Theses and their Results (1517-1519)
Background
From 1514 Luther was not only theology professor at Wittenberg University but also the priest at the City Church in Wittenberg. So he was also responsible for the salvation of his parish.
Luther observed that many people in Wittenberg were not coming to him for confession any more. They were going to towns in Brandenburg or Anhalt like Jüterbog or Zerbst to buy Indulgences (primarily the Peter's Indulgence).
The practice of buying indulgences, which quasi replaced confession and allowed people to buy their salvation, was completely repulsive to Luther. He strongly believed that one lived a life of humility in order to receive God's grace.
After 1507, trade in Indulgences took a steep climb because both the Papal Court and Bishop Albrecht von Brandenburg Germany's representative for the sale of indulgence were in great financial trouble.
In addition, the Dominican monk, Johann Tetzel, sold indulgences in the region around Wittenberg in a very ostentatious manner. Many stories started poping up about him such as, that Tetzel could redeem the sins of the deceased.
Further sayings of Tetzel, such as, "When the money clangs in the box, the souls spring up to heaven", also brought protests from Luther.
October 31, 1517, "Nailing the 95 Theses to the Door of the Castle Church"
Prior to October 31, 1517, Luther had preached against the indulgence trade. After reading an instruction manual for indulgence traders, he wrote a letter to his church superiors hoping to get rid of this abuse. In this letter he included 95 Theses which were to be used as the basis for a discussion on the topic.
That Luther hammered his theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg belongs to the realm of legends (the legend of Nailing the 95 Theses to the Door of the Castle Church).
Reactions to the 95 Theses
Luther sent his 95 Theses to a few bishops and some friends; therefore he did not expect or receive a prompt response. By the end of 1517, however, copies of the 95 Theses had been printed in Leipzig, Nuremberg and Basel. Some humanists and princes passionately approved of the theses, but parts of the Roman Church completely rejected them. The most vehement voice against the theses was the Indulgence Priest Tetzel, who supposedly categorized Luther as a follower of the heretic Jan Hus and threatened to have him burned at the stake.
At first the bishops reacted mildly, they informed the Pope of the 'rebel within the ranks' and instructed Luther's direct superior to take a moderate roll in calming him. A few bishops actually welcomed Luther's ideas for reform.

Events up to 1519
Because of increasing pressure, Luther found it necessary to explain and clarify his theses in writing. In 1518, Luther himself said that he only wanted to take care of an abuse (indulgence) and was not striving to unhinge the papacy with his theses.
The avalanche, however, was now unstoppable. The Papal Court reacted drastically to the alleged heretic and in 1518 an inquisition was begun in Rome. This quieted down in 1519 during the search for a successor to the deceased Emperor Maximilian. Once Karl the V was elected as emperor, the fight against Luther and his followers continued.

Threat of Banishment and Burning the Papal Bull of Excommunication (1520-1521)
Luther Distances Himself from the Papacy
Because of constant attacks from the Roman Church, Luther was forced to shape his ideology into an autonomous theology. During the years 1520-1521 he worked on the three great works "Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation", "The Babylonian Captivity" and "The Freedom of the Christian Man", thereby emotionally cutting himself off from Rome.
The inquisition against Luther was taken up again in 1520, partly because of these works. The peak of the inquisition came on June 15, 1520, with the Papal Bull of excommunication in which Luther was ordered to recant his teachings.
Burning the Papal Bull of Excommunication and Excommunication
Luther reacted in protest. He burned the Papal Bull ("Exurge Domine") along with the book of church law and many other books by his enemies on December 10, 1520 in Wittenberg where the Luther Oak (Luthereiche) stands today. He is said to have yelled: "Because you, godless book, have grieved or shamed the holiness of the Father, be saddened and consumed by the eternal flames of Hell".
This behavior caused a conclusive and irrevocable break with Rome.
On January 3, 1521 the Pope excommunicated Luther.
The Emperor, however, felt forced to accept Luther because of the pro-Luther mood in the empire and because of the influence of various princes who were hoping to weaken the Pope's political influence through Luther. As a result, the rebel was guaranteed safe escort on his trip to the Imperial Diet of Worms.

Luther at the Imperial Diet of Worms (1521)
Background
Luther, who through the church's excommunication was practically declared a heretic, was invited to Worms by the Emperor who had been pressured by a few princes. Both the church and Emperor wanted Luther to recant his teachings while he was there. The princes who supported Luther hoped that through the forthcoming events the political power of Rome over Germany would be weakend.
Luther's powerful sovereign, Elector Friedrich the Wise of Saxon demanded that Luther not be outlawed and imprisoned without a hearing.

The Trip to Worms
Luther began his trip to Worms on April 2, 1521. The journey to the Imperial Diet did not embody the repentance the church had hoped for. The journey to Worms was more like a victory march; Luther was welcomed enthusiastically in all of the towns he went through.
He preached in Erfurt, Gotha and Eisenach. He arrived in Worms on April 16 and was also cheered and welcomed by the people.

Luther's Appearance at the Imperial Diet
Luther's appearance at the Imperial Diet was described as objective, clever and well thought out. He had to appear before the Emperor twice; each time he was clearly told to take back his teachings. Luther didn't see any proof against his theses or views which would move him to recant: "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen."
The infamous saying "Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise." does not come from Luther.

I am Finished!
After he left the negotiations room, he said "I am finished." And he was for the time finished; Luther was dismissed, and not arrested because he had a letter of safe conduct (Schutzbrief) which guaranteed him 21 days of safe travel through the land. He headed home on April 25.
When Luther and the princes who supported him left Worms, the emperor imposed an Imperial Act (Wormser Edikt): Luther is declared an outlaw (he may be killed by anyone without threat of punishment).
On the trip home, Elector Friedrich the Wise allowed Luther to be kidnapped on May 4 (Luther knew about it beforehand). This took place on the one hand to guarantee Luther's safety and on the other hand to let him disappear from the scene for a short while; there were even rumors of Luther's death. This action also helped the Elector not to endanger himself because he could have been held liable for protecting an outlaw and heretic.
Luther was taken to the secluded Wartburg and the Reformation had time to stabilize and strengthen itself.

Luther at the Wartburg (1521/22)
Luther as Junker Jörg at the Wartburg
On May 4, 1521 Elector Friedrich the Wise allowed Luther to be brought to the Wartburg near Eisenach. The powerful Elector hoped that taking Luther out of the limelight would weaken the constant attacks against the Reformation.
Luther lived incognito at the Wartburg; he called himself Junker Jörg (Knight George) and "grew his hair and a beard."
Luther suffered from the exile "in the empire of outlaws" and complained of various physical ailments. In addition the many fights with Satan, recounted both by himself and friends, like the proverbial Throwing of the Inkwell must have been difficult times for him to work through...

Translation of the New Testament
Luther devoted himself to a new task. He translated the New Testament from its original Greek into German within eleven weeks; the work was later edited by Melanchthon and other specialists and printed in 1522. This so-called "September Testament" was tremendously popular in Protestant areas and as a result made a large contribution to the development of a standardized written German-language.
Later, parts of the Old Testament were also translated. In 1534, a complete German language Bible was printed and also had a large circulation.

Happenings in Wittenberg during Luther's Absence
Reformation theories were put into practice in Wittenberg which had become the center of the Reformation. In protest, three priests married in 1521 and the worship service was also altered. Luther watched these changes favorably from a distance, however, he stayed in close contact with his supporters in Wittenberg through letters.
It is important to emphasize the influence of Philipp Melanchthon and his work "Loci communes" (1521) which was the first formulation of Luther's teachings and was also a foundation for the theological works of the Reformation.
In 1522, Luther returned to Wittenberg when the more radical functions of the Reformation appeared to have gained control (such as the iconoclastic movement under Andreas Bodenstein, aka Karlstadt).

Luther's Return to Wittenberg (1522-25)
Luther Returned to Wittenberg and took over the 'Scepter of the Reformation'
After the first iconoclastic movement in Wittenberg, Luther returned from exile. He even annulled some of the reformatory changes that he saw as dangerous because they would force people into a new belief which he did not want to do.
Luther returned to Wittenberg on March 6, 1521 and with his 'fasting sermons' brought the Reformation movement fwhich he thought had gotten too radical back to his moderate line.
The outlaw's return was dangerous, but the reformers achieved partial success as far as Luther's safety was concerned: the Second Imperial Diet of Nuremburg declared the banishment of Luther as unenforceable. In 1524, however, at the Third Imperial Diet of Nuremburg the banishment was renewed, but the Reformation had rooted itself so deeply by then, that it seemed unlikely that Luther would be arrested.
In the years that followed, Luther concentrated on spreading his beliefs through writings and sermons.
In the work Of the Worldly Authorities, and How Much Obedience one owes Them Luther formulated the basis for his political ethics. Luther's moderate outlook comes to the foreground once again.
From 1522-1524 Luther's preaching duties receive priority; he went on preaching trips throughout central Germany and during the fall of 1522 even preached in Erfurt and Weimar. Luther felt it was important to proclaim and illuminate the Gospel to the people.
With his writings On the Order of Worship and Formula missae Luther carried out his reforms in the worship service.
A new order of social service was achieved with the use of a community money box: the social and educational responsibilites of the community were taken over by the income from the old church.
The reform of the school system was one of the most important of Luther's duties. Some of the professors and students with their interpretations of Luther's teachings had and almost shut down schools completely. The Reformation, however, needed well-educated pastors, teachers and civil servants. In his work "To the Councilmen of all Cities within German Territories; Christian Schools Ought to be Kept Up" Luther stated that authorities are obligated to guarantee a good education for the youth.
Luther and the Peasants War
Once again the Reformation found new enemies, this time radicals within its own ranks, called Swarmers and Mobbing Spirits by Luther.
Thomas Münzer, priest and former follower of Luther became a leader of peasant uprisings in Central Germany in 1525 which had already flared up in southwest Germany in 1524. The peasants, who called on the power of Luther's teachings, demanded more just (economical) conditions, even if that meant the downfall of the authorities.
In his sermons, which he also held in the areas of unrest, Luther stood firm against using force; he only received refusals from the peasants who had hoped for his support. Luther nevertheless encouraged them to free themselves from the spiritual despotism of the authorities not from their economic or political influence.
From these experiences came the desolate work "Against the Murderous and Thieving Hordes of Peasants", which is still a controversial work.
The peasants were defeated on May 15 at the battle of Frankenhausen.

Luther's Marriage to Katharina von Bora (1525)
On June 13, 1525 Luther married Katharina von Bora, a nun who had fled from a convent in Nimbsch, near Grimma, and had taken refuge in Wittenberg. Luther's marriage to Katharina (who was 16 years younger than Luther) was oppposed by many of his friends who saw in it the downfall of the Reformation. Philipp Melanchthon spoke of it as an "unlucky deed". He did not know anything about Luther's plan and was not invited to the wedding.
Katharina took over the household, particularly the household expenses; it is said that Dr. Luther did not have a clue how to run a household. She also proved herself to be a good housewife and gardener.
Luther's household included not only his wife and six children, but also one of Katharina's relatives and after 1529 six of Luther's sister's children. Luther also housed students in his home to help the family's financial situation.
Luther's Table Talk (Tischreden) are characteristic of Luther's family life, in which his language and his closeness to the people become very clear.

Luther's Influence after 1525
In the following years Luther continued with his reforms of the church and community structure. Among other things, Luther was able to convince the Elector to establish some measures for the security of the Reformation like regulating the salaries of pastors.
In the reform of the worship service, one of the most important changes was allowing the parish to take both the wafer and the wine during Communion.
Luther also took many trips during which he evaluated the work of pastors and the realization of the reforms he had made for the worship service. After one such trip in 1528, the work Instruction of Visitations to Pastors in the Electorate of Saxon by Philipp Melanchthon appeared.
On top of the church reforms Luther wrote many books at this time including the Baptismal Book and Wedding Book and in 1529 the Small and Large Catechism.
In addition Luther who had always been enthusiastic about singing ("The one who sings, prays double") published the Smart Songbook and the choral "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" in 1527.

In 1534 Luther's complete Bible translation appeared. The translation of the New Testament appeared in 1522 and the work on the Old Testament was finished while he was at the fortress in Coburg in 1530 (further information about the Coburg Fortress - external link!)
The Development of the Reformation within Imperial Politics
The First Imperial Diet of Spires (Speyer; 1526) gave the protestants the first opportunity to legally go ahead with their reforms. It was left up to the local sovereigns as to what extent the reforms were carried through in their territitories.
Although the Imperial Diet of Augsburg in 1530 forbade all reforms, reformers could read the huge success of the reformation in the "Augsburg confession", written by Melanchthon. The reformers explained their beliefs in detail in this book.
Luther was not at the Imperial Diet of Augsburg (He was in Coburg.); however, he was kept abreast of the proceedings by his representatives, especially Melanchthon.
In response to the anti-Reformation statements of the Imperial Diet of Augsburg, protestant estates of the Empire formed the Smalkaldian Alliance in 1530; a defensive alliance founded to protect against catholic attacks.
Luther was in principle against all use of violent action. Luther could not stop the Smalkaldian War (1546-47) even though he had hindered an outbreak of war in 1528 by standing firm against violence. (->The Reformation in Imperial Politics after Luther's Death in 1546).

Luther's Role in Religious Discussions and his Relationship to Reformers in Other Movements.
Luther's moderate approach, his attitude towards the insurgent peasants and his compromises with sovereigns caused him to be accused by all sides. On the other hand, Luther was constantly under pressure to defend the Reformation politically and theologically against the Roman Catholic faction. Many of his ex-supporters did not want to help bear the burden of this thin line Luther was walking.
Already in 1524-26 Luther had fought with the Dutch humanist Erasmus von Rotterdamm which caused lots of stress to the reformation and ended in a split among humanists who had previously welcomed Luther's reforms.
The difference of opinion between Luther and Karlstadt or between Luther and the Swiss reformer Zwingli about the role of communion in the worship service led to the Marburg Religious Discussions of 1529, where only one partial agreement was reached.
Luther and Melanchthon were critically opposed to the Baptist movement; however, when the Baptist's empire in Münster was overthrown in 1534-1535, the two condemned the treatment of the Baptist.
In 1537, a clash ensued between Luther and Johann Agricola, one of Luther's supporters in Wittenberg who ended up leaving Wittenberg in 1540.

Luther's Last Years of Life (1540-46)
"I am weak, I cannot go on"
During his last years of life Luther fought against many physical ailments. The death of his daughter Magdelena, in 1542, was also very difficult for him.
Luther's relationship to people with different beliefs, especially the Jews, deteriorated drastically during these years. His 1523 work Jesus was born a Jew showed a concilliatory attitude; however, in later years the aging reformer sentenced all who did not want to convert to his beliefs. The strongly anti-semetic work Jews and their Lies(1543) came out during this period.
Luther continued to lead the Reformation in its fight against its enemies even in the last years of his life. With his 1545 work Against the Papacy at Rome Founded by the Devil! he performed his last blow against the Roman Church.
Luther continued his preaching duties despite his various disappointments and ailments.
Luther continued to teach at Wittenberg University until the end of his life; his last lecture ended with the words: "I am weak, I cannot go on."

Luther's Death (1546)
Luther set off on his last trip on January 17, 1546, to his birthplace Eisleben. Although he was drawn with illness, he went to settle a dispute among the Mansfeld Counts. The negotiations endedsuccessfully.
Luther did not have the energy to return to Wittenberg. He died on February 18, 1546 in Eisleben. On his death bed, he prayed "Into your hands, I command my spirit. You have saved me, Father, you faithful God."
After the coffin was displayed for two days in Eisleben, Luther's body was transported through Halle and Bitterfeld back to Wittenberg.
On February 22 Luther was laid to rest in the Castle Church in Wittenberg; Johannes Bugenhagen held the funeral oration.